Validation of the Job Satisfaction-Nursing Italian Score and Comparison Between Freelance and Employed Nurses: A Psychometric and Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Freelance nurses (FNs) are independent healthcare professionals not tied to a specific healthcare facility. In Italy, FNs are relatively unknown to the public and many healthcare pro-fessionals, who traditionally view nurses as subordinate workers. This study aimed to validate the Job Satisfaction (JS)-Nursing Italian Score, a tool for assessing JS among nurses, and to compare JS levels between employed nurses and FNs. Methods: A two-phase study design was used: vali-dation and observational. In the validation phase, content validity was assessed using a content validity index, and reliability was evaluated with Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega. Construct validity was examined via exploratory factor analysis (EFA). In the observational phase, a cross-sectional analysis was conducted with 200 nurses assessing their JS using the JS-Nursing Italian Score. Multiple one-way Welch’s ANOVAs were performed to compare groups. Results: Cronbach’s alpha (α = 0.827) and McDonald’s omega (ω = 0.829) indicated good reliability. Bart-lett’s Sphericity test (p < 0.001) and the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure (0.74) supported the EFA, revealing four factors. Significant differences in JS were found between groups through ANOVA. Conclusion: The JS-Nursing Italian Score is a reliable tool for assessing JS. FNs reported signifi-cantly higher satisfaction compared to employed nurses. Future research should focus on further validating the JS-Nursing Italian Score, expanding its use across diverse settings to enhance nursing well-being.